Meanwhile, Aizen, unable to contain his impatience, hurried back to the underground laboratory. He placed Kyōka Suigetsu on the workbench and meticulously examined it with various instruments, searching for any trace of Makoto's spiritual energy.
But… there was nothing.
After scanning the zanpakutō repeatedly, Aizen could find no abnormal spiritual traces left on Kyōka Suigetsu whatsoever.
"A disguise?"
The thought surfaced in Aizen's mind almost reflexively.
"If that's the case, you're underestimating me, Makoto-kun…"
Yet, despite attempting numerous methods to dispel potential cloaked traces, every single attempt failed.
One hypothesis after another was tested, but none proved successful. It was as if Makoto's spiritual energy had never left any imprint on Kyōka Suigetsu in the first place.
"This… is impossible!"
The words felt as much a denial to himself as they were a challenge to Makoto.
There was one undeniable fact: something of Makoto's essence had continuously interacted with Kyōka Suigetsu. Otherwise, Makoto would never have been able to completely bypass the zanpakutō's complete hypnosis.
"Could it be…?"
Lifting Kyōka Suigetsu to eye level, Aizen stared at its faintly glowing surface, his gaze sharp.
"Makoto-kun… could it be that, without me noticing, you've already infiltrated the very core of my precious Kyōka Suigetsu?"
The idea was absurd and utterly inconceivable…
Yet to Aizen, it seemed the only plausible explanation left.
"Makoto-kun, how exactly did you do it? Your abilities… they're clearly far more intricate than mere wood-element manipulation…"
"This puts me in quite the dilemma. If I destroy Kyōka Suigetsu, the complete hypnosis that controls most of the Gotei 13 will be disrupted…"
"Furthermore, my envisioned path requires the zanpakutō to eventually merge completely with me…"
"Makoto-kun, was this all part of your plan from the very beginning? You've truly backed me into a corner!"
---
In truth, Makoto had anticipated that someone as cunning as Aizen would eventually uncover the truth.
But just as Aizen realized, this was a strategy played openly from the start.
Destroying a zanpakutō in its released state (shikai) would temporarily cripple its abilities, even though it could eventually repair itself over time.
This left Aizen with two choices: either grudgingly accept the fact that Makoto had infiltrated Kyōka Suigetsu, or take the risk of disrupting the widespread complete hypnosis and destroy the zanpakutō.
Makoto was almost certain Aizen would choose the former.
However, if Aizen's pride couldn't bear the intrusion and he opted to destroy Kyōka Suigetsu to eradicate Makoto's traces, that would play right into Makoto's hands.
This would mark Aizen's weakest moment within the Seireitei. In such a vulnerable state, even without Makoto exposing Aizen's true identity and rallying the captains against him, someone like Unohana alone would be more than enough to overwhelm him.
As for how Makoto infiltrated Kyōka Suigetsu undetected, the answer was deceptively simple.
The spiritual energy Makoto had achieved after reaching his Perfect Spirit Body was far denser and more refined than ordinary spiritual particles, allowing it to compress into an incredibly minute state.
Even though the macroscopic world appears stable, at the microscopic level, constant motion persists.
By taking advantage of this movement and controlling his spiritual particles precisely, Makoto had silently infiltrated Kyōka Suigetsu over time, unnoticed.
---
Having instructed Urozakuro to remain vigilant of Aizen, Makoto turned his attention towards the temporary gathering place of the Fourth Division near their ruined barracks.
For the normally peaceful Fourth Division, who rarely found themselves on the front lines, this had been an utterly horrifying night.
Captains and comrades had undergone hollowfication. The once gentle and reliable Captain Unohana had gone berserk, leaving the barracks in ruins…
For the Fourth Division members, who had been celebrating at a birthday banquet not long ago, the abrupt shift was a staggering emotional blow.
To make matters worse, Captain Unohana was missing, Vice-Captain Yamada Seinosuke had hollowfied, and many seated officers were either dead, injured, or hollowfied as well.
When Makoto arrived at the temporary refuge, the remaining members of the Fourth Division were pale, trembling, and visibly shaken. Some clutched their heads, their expressions haunted by the night's events.
The sight of Makoto's approach brought a flicker of change to some faces, particularly among those from the medical department.
"Makoto… Makoto-kun?!"
One woman, Aoki Risa, with swollen, tear-streaked eyes, suddenly rushed forward and collapsed into Makoto's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"You're… you're okay! I thought… I thought you were gone too!"
Makoto froze, his eyes widening. For a moment, he didn't know whether to push away this lily-flower of a subordinate, or to throw her over his shoulder with a clean suplex to clarify to Unohana—even in absentia—that he had no intention of tarnishing her reputation by behaving inappropriately as the new Vice-Captain.
After all, if such a thing were to happen, it could never be in such a public, morally upright setting.
Yet, hearing Risa's heart-wrenching sobs, Makoto suddenly glanced at Urozakuro with a subtle question in his eyes.
Urozakuro nodded knowingly and answered, "Aoki Chiyoko hollowfied… her spiritual body disintegrated."
Hearing this, Makoto's expression softened with sympathy.
Makoto knew Risa's backstory well. Having lost her father at a young age, the death of Chiyoko was a devastating blow.
For a moment, Makoto's mind wandered to Risa's many small acts of kindness—her prepared bento boxes, her brewed tea, her meticulous care…
Though as president of the "Special Communication Association for Capturing Doctor Senju," Risa had often exploited his charms for her personal whims, he still felt a pang of empathy.
"It's okay now. It's all over."
With a paternal tone, Makoto gently patted Risa's back, his voice soft as he sought to comfort her trembling heart.
======================
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